Fruit-gatherer



` UNITED j STATES PATENT, Ormes.

HA'ZZARD WOODHURST, OF PERRY, lASSIGNORV OF THREE-FOURTHS TO ELI WAYLAND, CYRUS. M. SMITH, AND THOMAS E. ORIGLER, ALL OF MONROE CITY, lMISSOURI.

yFRUIT-GATHEREF?.

SPECIFICATION forming part onf Letters Patent No. 362,475, dat-ea May 3,1887. Application filed October 7, 1886. Serial No. 215.520. (No model.) l

To a/ZZ whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, HAZZARD WooDHURsT, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Perry, in the county of Balls and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Gatherers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

1o This invention pertains to certain new and useful improvements infruit-gatherers; and it consists in the detailed construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, substantially'as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front velevation of my invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, showing a portion extended in dotted lines; and Fig. 3

zo is a view in cross-section of the handle.

In carrying out'rny invention I employ a handle or bar, A, to which is connected, by means of bands or straps a a, a second supplementary handle or sliding bar, B, which has z5 a tenon, a', formed on one side, entering a correspondingly-shaped groove or recess, a2, in the side of the 4handle or bar A, the purpose of which will appear further on. bands ct a are secured one by both of its ends to each of the handles or bars A B, and project outwardlyr in opposite directions in U shape, topermit each the sliding therein ot' the other handle or bar, which it inclasps.'

To the upper end of the supplementary han- 3 5 dle or sliding bar B are connected the ends of a hoop, C, the forward portion or surface of which is beveled from the outer edge 4inwardly, the purpose of which will appear further on.

4o D is a series of teeth or prongs secured in suitable apertures formed in the beveled portion of the hoop C, each of which projects forward at an angle with the plane of the said hoop, andthe outer end of each tooth or prong is thickened, as at b. The ends of these teeth are sufficiently far apart to permit the passage of any two of the teeth or prongs around the stem of the fruit it is desired to pick or gather. A disk, D', is secured to the supplementary rIhe straps or,

handle or sliding bar B, and normally rests between the two opposite end teeth or prongs, and is held .against the ends of said teeth or prongs by means of a small plate or elastic piece of metal, d, secured at one end to said supplementary handle or sliding bar, and the other end connected to said disk, the object of which latter feature will appear further on.

By means of a metallic band, e, one end of a bag or receptacle, E, is, together with said band, secured by screws or nails to the rear side of the hoop C, and the other end of said bag is open, the object of which will also ap pear further on. An elastic ring or band, E', is passed on the bag or receptacle E, tightly clasping the same vat whatever point it islocated, and by means of this ring or band the' exact quantity of fruit it is desired to secure in the bag or receptacle can be regulated, in connection with suitable marks of graduation on said bag or receptacle, by forcing said ring or band to the desired point or mark of graduation, the same being retained thereat by reason of its impingement against the inclasped portion of said bag. To the bag or receptacle is secured a small hook, e', designed for en- 75 gagement with an eye or staple, e2, secured in a notch or recess formed in the rear side of the handle or bar A, by means of which said bag or receptacle is held in its proper position.

Within a slot formed in the extreme lower 8o end of the supplementary handle or sliding bar B is pivotally secured a latch, F, the lower end of which is designed to slide in the groove or recess c2 of the /handle or bar A, by means 0f which the supplementary handle or sliding bar can be held at any desired point. By press ing on the outer projecting end of the latch, the lower inner end will be raised from contact with the inner portion of the groove, and when the handles have been extended to 9o the desired extentthey are held at that point by pressi-ng on the lower end of said latch, the lower inner end of which will impinge against that portion of the supplementary handle over which it travels and prevent the same from slipping.

In operatiomthe ring or band E having been .first adjusted on the bag or receptacle E and the handles extended as may be desired, the teeth or prongs of the hoop C are placed alongside of the fruit it is desired to gather, and by causing the stem of said fruit to be inclasped by any two of said teeth or prongs, as aforesaid, the fruit will of course be caused to drop, and, being prevented from falling out beyond said teeth or prongs by means of the springsecured disk D', will enter the bag or receptacle E. This operation can be repeated until the desired quantity of fruit has been obtained in the bag or receptacle, after which the same is emptied and the operation repeated as often as may be necessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, with the handle or bar and the supplementary handle or bar secured thereto, of the hoop secured to said sliding bar and having a beveled face, the inclined teeth or prongs projecting from the beveled face of said hoop, the spring-held disk located at the lower end of said hoop, and the bag or receptacle, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the sliding handles andthe hoop, of the teeth or prongs secured to said hoop and having thickened ends, the spring-held Vdisk secured to the handles, bearing against the outer ends of the two lower teeth or prongs, and the bag or receptacle, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I atix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HAZZARD VOODHURST.

Witnesses:

J. GOODIER, C. C. WAKEFIELD. 

